lhunt Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 (edited) I'm with Doug on the burgundy shaft. Easier on the joints. I've had mine for years, no problem. Except don't slam it in a car door :-)I don't think there's any magic in deciding on the size of a paddle. I "decided" on a mid wing at first, then changed it out for a small mid wing after mild but persistent forearm trouble. CRCK allowed me to swap it out even after using it for a bit. But I was very careful not to scratch it during the trial period.I agree with Leon on the importance of an explosive core twist during the first few inches of the stroke. That will give you efficiency even if your blade is a little smaller, because you get more lift. But you have to be in pretty good shape to maintain it for a marathon.Lisa Edited February 3, 2015 by LHuntington Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inverseyourself Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 Leon, Doug and Lisa:Thanks for the advice on Burgundy vs. Blue. It's just, I hate burgundy . But I can make an exception for the sake of my joints.Michael:No worries! Who knew! I just had to try it. I'm sitting on the Corry now, no one seems to want to buy it. But fine, I may at one point give it another try.Josko:If you were to buy a go to wing again, say for use beyond mid-season, would you go with mid-wing or mid-large wing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josko Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 Josko: If you were to buy a go to wing again, say for use beyond mid-season, would you go with mid-wing or mid-large wing? That's exactly what I'm trying to decide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leong Posted February 3, 2015 Author Share Posted February 3, 2015 That's exactly what I'm trying to decide.Josco,Look at Barton's paddle wizard. If you're between the mid wing and the large mid wing choose the smaller of the two.-Leon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inverseyourself Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 Looks like Small-Mid to Mid-Wing is "only" 15 cm2 difference and Mid-Large to Large-Wing is "only" 25 cm2 difference. These are already not (!) so subtle differences: 1.2"x2" for Small-Mid to Mid and 2"x2" for Mid-Large to Large. Now, the really big jump is between Mid-Wing and Mid-Large Wing: 70 cm2, that's roughly 2.8"x4", a ~9% difference.To me, the step between Mid Wing and Mid-Large Wing is big enough to err on the side of caution, i.e. choose the smaller one.Thanks Leon and Josko for your input. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josko Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 You all are sounding like Epic is THE only wing blade out there. Are there other alternatives folks have found worked well for them? I for one, am glad I learned on an untwisted Stellar wing. I found it decidedly easier to adapt to, particularly in rough and moving water, than the Epic mid wing. Similarly, it seems there is a whole range of blade twists available, and folks in the know seem to select higher blade twists for calmer conditions.Here is a wing paddle review by a local: http://www.surfskiracing.org/2012/01/quick-review-of-wing-paddles-by-wesley-echols/Why not look at options beyond Epic? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inverseyourself Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 Great advice, Josko. I am not partial to Epic, it is simply the one that I tried out and liked. I am, as a matter of fact, looking for a wing paddle that I can use in rougher conditions. I will be more likely to use it touring than for calm water racing. I was inspired by watching a documentary on Sean Morley from GB, a racer and sea kayaker who uses a wing paddle in all but the gnarliest conditions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leong Posted February 4, 2015 Author Share Posted February 4, 2015 Great advice, Josko. I am not partial to Epic, it is simply the one that I tried out and liked. I am, as a matter of fact, looking for a wing paddle that I can use in rougher conditions. I will be more likely to use it touring than for calm water racing. I was inspired by watching a documentary on Sean Morley from GB, a racer and sea kayaker who uses a wing paddle in all but the gnarliest conditions.Andy,I didn’t realize that I was advising you to tilt towards the mid wing given that you were between that and the large mid wing. But in your case that might not be good advice. That’s because of your large muscles (I met you at Little Misery Island last summer). You certainly are strong enough for the large mid wing; nevertheless, it might not be optimal for your power and endurance. Being strong doesn’t always correlate with high power and endurance.Perhaps I’ll start another thread to discuss strength, power and endurance for kayaking.Separately, it seems that the most popular wing paddles for Blackburn Challenge competitors are from Epic, Onno, Stellar and Brasca.-Leon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josko Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 Talking about wing paddles in crazy conditions, have any of you guys spent time with Archee? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inverseyourself Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 Archee? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josko Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 Sorry - thought everyone knew Archee, aka Jan Bloch. His paddling website is: http://www.meetup.com/Cape-Cod-Sea-Kayak-Club/ He paddles a yellow Taran 18 with an Epic mid-large and is comfortable in some truly remarkable conditions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leong Posted February 4, 2015 Author Share Posted February 4, 2015 Sorry - thought everyone knew Archee, aka Jan Bloch. His paddling website is: http://www.meetup.com/Cape-Cod-Sea-Kayak-Club/He paddles a yellow Taran 18 with an Epic mid-large and is comfortable in some truly remarkable conditions.Josco,I was just about to join the New England Kayak Club until I noticed that it said, “paddle float is a must” soI DON'T WANT TO BELONG TO ANY CLUB THAT WILL ACCEPT PEOPLE LIKE ME AS A MEMBER because I’m Mr.Have Paddle Float- Will Travel-Leon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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